The findings, he adds, stress the importance of communication between radiologists and clinicians, as well as with patients prior to surgery and other procedures. To ensure this takes place, he suggests the following tips:

• Physicians who order radiology studies should include information with their orders for tests. If the radiologist does not receive the information that they need, they should reach out to ordering physicians to gather that information and learn what the ordering physician expects to find and why they expect to find it.


• Radiologists should be integrated into the healthcare team. If findings are not consistent with clinical information provided by the ordering physician, radiologists should have a conversation with the ordering physician to analyze the situation and determine next steps in the diagnostic process.

• After radiological studies are performed and read, we recommend that critical findings, unexpected findings, and interpretations that require follow-up be reported by radiologists to ordering physicians.

• Radiologists should create or update the process for notifying the appropriate clinicians regarding discrepancies between preliminary readings and final reports. They should document these communications.

• Physicians should ask the receiving clinician to repeat back the message to ensure accurate transmission and understanding of findings, including patient identification.

Back to HCB News

CT Homepage